About Russian-Norwegian Institute of Energy Cooperation
Contemporary world is characterized by continuously increasing need for energy. Both developed and developing countries constantly increase consumption of energy. Europe’s consumption of gas has increased in the last years. Political and war crises in the Middle East make oil exports unpredictable. This causes fluctuations in the prices of oil and overall instability in the world. OPEC countries develop own rules in the oil policy. Only Russia and Norway appear as the largest independent and accurate exporters of oil and natural gas to the West. These reasons make the energy sector one of the most interesting areas of research and study.
Exploration of the oil and gas reserves in the Barents Sea has started, and from enterprises and government institutions the need for specialized knowledge has been addressed. There is a need for specialists familiar with the peculiarities of the oil and gas industries, possessing strong regional knowledge and professional insight into the field of energy management and energy diplomacy and geopolitics.
In February 2004 the MGIMO University and Bodø Graduate School of Business created the Russian–Norwegian Institute of Energy. Educational programs focusing on the energy sector are part of the institute’s activities. The Norwegian Minister of Finance expressed at the opening of the Russian-Norwegian Institute of Energy that this common institute and the master program focusing on the oil and gas sector is as relevant in time as possible. He underlined that Russia and Norway are the biggest oil exporters in Europe and among the four biggest in the world. In both the Russian and the Norwegian economies oil is the locomotive, and for both countries the northern regions are important for the further development of the energy sector.
Choice of partners is not occasional. The MGIMO University has for years been building competence in exploring and analyzing key geopolitical and macroeconomic factors affecting the world energy industry, and has provided policy-makers and business top executives of the leading fuel and energy companies with strategic advice on these issues. Bodø Graduate School of Business is well-known for its specialization in management disciplines such as, innovation, entrepreneurship, management control, transportation and ethical and environmental management.
The creation of the Institute opens a number of possibilities for both Bodø Graduate School of Business and MGIMO-University. Research opportunities in energy sector and possibility to exchange knowledge are going to be one of the areas of interests for the joint Institute. Development of new Master of Science in Business program and Executive MBA program is the first step on the way to the most comprehensive research in Norway in energy problems.
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